Removing A Winch Fitting From A Rod

[Cameron]

I have an old hand built rod built on an Ironglass blank, which will give you some idea of how old it is. I wish to completely rebuild it, including the removal of the winch fitting. It was put on using the masking tap/24 hour Araldite method and has stuck fast for many years. I was thinking of taking an angle grinder to it very judiciously, but if there is a better way I would love to hear it. Any thoughts?

[slinkymalinky]

I haven't really got any idea having never tackled anything like that but maybe using a Dremel rotary tool with a cutting wheel would give you a lot more control???

Cheers, Slinky

[Sammy0884]

I've used a dremel before... just make sure you use a reinforced cutting disc and wear eye protection, those discs have a habit of letting go.

[gretsch]

Use a hack saw and cut it in a spiral along the length of the seat then prise it off with a screw driver. You can hack the Araldite off with a regular kitchen knife. You will find that the Araldite will be quite brittle and it will come off in large chucks.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Cephalopod

[woodch0p]

I have removed a few before, I used a bench grinder on the first one to get down to the glue, but have to be very carefull and stop it in time before you damage the blank. Small sections at a time. I now have a dremel and use that to remove the seat, I cut lengthways down the seat on both sides, and work a stanley knife under the inscisions to remove the seat. I then run the blade down the blank to remove excess glue. As ceph said arildite is is brittle and not to hard to remove.

[double pluggers]

Applying heat to the winch fitting will soften the bond enough for you to twist it down off the blank using multi grips.

Araldite softens/weakens under heat & regains its strenghth again when it cools.

[pjbink]

I normally do this with tips...good idea..

It's a bit too easy to melt the blank this way. Is it a graphite winch? If so it's probably easier/ safer to cut it off with a hacksaw using a spiral pattern.

[double pluggers]

You will definitely not melt the blank with this method so long as you only apply the heat to the winch fitting & not the blank.

Araldite softens at 100 degrees so you do not need to cook it.This is a tried & tested method that rod builders use.

[pjbink]

You will definitely not melt the blank with this method so long as you only apply the heat to the winch fitting & not the blank.

Araldite softens at 100 degrees so you do not need to cook it.This is a tried & tested method that rod builders use.

If it was my rod I would cut it off all the same. I have melted the fiberglass tip of my rod trying to melt an araldited tip off. In theory the araldite should have melted first but it didn't work out that way.

[luderick -angler]

You can use a dremel or hacksaw but risk cutting the glass otherwise use a heat gun as they use for stripping paint I have done this a few times on old metal winches, but before you remove the winch no one has asked why is there anything wrong with it? You may save yourseldf a lot of heartache oh and yes i remember ironglass marketed by one Joe Gospel!!!1

[gef118]

You can use a dremel or hacksaw but risk cutting the glass otherwise use a heat gun as they use for stripping paint I have done this a few times on old metal winches, but before you remove the winch no one has asked why is there anything wrong with it? You may save yourseldf a lot of heartache oh and yes i remember ironglass marketed by one Joe Gospel!!!1

There you go, the heat gun is the way to go. Heat and twist works a treat, scrape the old araldite away while it is still warm. The same approach for ferrels and runners and tips.

[Daniel Frost]

There you go, the heat gun is the way to go. Heat and twist works a treat, scrape the old araldite away while it is still warm. The same approach for ferrels and runners and tips.

Would have to agree , my old man was a rod builder for about thirty years or more , ive done a bit myself as well when working in his tackle store as a teenager , the heat gun is the fastest , safest and easiest way to do this . The trick is to keep rotating the winch or reel seat and make sure it is heated evenly , at the same time keep checking if the reel seat is starting to get any movement in it , once you have it starting to slip it should only take a little while longer with the heat gun before the reel seat comes straight off . even pressure on the reel seat is also important to get it off easily , good luck , you should be able to get it off quite easily and get into your rebuild.